Soil pulverizer and smoother.



No. 843,025. PATENTED FEB. 5,190

F. .MILLBR. SOIL PULVERIZBR AND SMOOTHER.

-APPLIGATION FILED MAY 19. 1906.

Witnesses. Frederick Miller. \wwexkor,

6W PM FREDERICK MILLER, OF UNION COUNTY, INDIANA.

SOIL PULVERIZER AND SIVIOOTHER. I

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Application filed May 19, 1906. Serial No. 317,762.

To all whom 7/6 may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Union county, Indiana, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Soil Pulverizers and Smoothers, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to soil pulverizers and smoothers adapted to use inpreparing the soil for seeding, for smoothing the surface ofrace-tracks, and for other purposes; and the objects of my improvementare to provide a series of parallel cutter-bars adapted to shave thesoil at different depths, to provide obstructions thereon for breakingthe clods in their passage thereover, to provide lever mechanism forsimultaneously moving and maintaining the bars with their edges indifferent vertical angles, and to provide durability and simplicity ofconstruction, together with facility of operation and efficiency ofaction. These objects are attained in the following described manner, asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is anisometrical view of a soil pulverizer and smoother embodying myimprovement; Fig. 2, a front elevation with parts broken away; Figs. 3and 4, transverse sections showing the substitution and differentarrangements of the cutterbars, and Fig. 5 a modified form ofconstruction of cutterbar.

In the drawings, 1 represents the front cutter-bar formed with a frontcutting edge and representing in cross-section the segment of aboutone-fourth part of a circle. Cutter-bars 2 and 3, similar to each other,each consists of a bar of angle iron or steel having a front cuttingedge. Hinge members 4 are secured within the angleof said bars neartheir respective ends and at intermediate points in their length. Saidbars are interchangeably hinged on end pieces 5 by means of removablepintles or bolts 7. Braces 8, provided with draft-hooks 9, ex-

tend at an angle from the respective end pieces and are hinged on thefront bar 1. Arms 11, rigidly secured to the respective cutter-bars atan intermediate point in their length, approximately bisect the anglesof said bars and are adjustably connected together at their extremitiesby means of links 6 and 12. A fulcrum-bar 13 is provided with asegmental rack 14, with a depending lever-bearing 15, and with dependinghinge member 16, whereby it is removably hinged on the respectivecutter-bars and adjacent to arms 11 thereon. A detent-lever 17, adaptedto detachably engage with rack 14, is Cpivotally secured on bearing 15and provi ed with a connecting-rod 18, which is pivotally secured to thefront end of link 12.

A platform 21, adapted to sup ort a seat, is mounted at one end on thelcrum-bar and at the other end on an intermediate bar 22, which issimilar thereto and serves to brace and strengthen the cutter-barswhere-' on it is removably hinged.

A modified form of cutter-bar is shown in Figs. 3 and 5, which may besubstituted for either of the other cutter-bars above described. Itconsists of a steel blade 25, formed with a front cutting edge, and of astiffening-bar 26, preferably of angle-iron, which is secured thereoverby means of bracket hinge members 27 to form open slots 28 between them.Said bar 26 permits the pulverized soil to pass-thereunder andintercepts and tumbles the clods in a forward direction until they aresufliciently pulverized.

Said bar 26 may consist of different sections adapted to occupy only thespaces between the end pieces 5 and the cross-bars 13 and 22. Arch-bars28 similar to bar 26, but formed with depending ends, may be removablysecured to either or all of the other cutter-bars to perform the samepurpose. The cutterbars may all consist of either of the formsdescribed, or bars of either form may be assembled with the others inany desired order which may be best adapted to the conditions of thesoil. The device may be constructed with any desired number ofcutter-bars, and it'may consist of a plurality of sections movablysecured together at their adjacent ends.

In operation the links serve to independ ently adjust the cutter-bars inthe same or different vertical angles, as desired to act either ascutters or smoothers. The detentlever serves to simultaneously adjustsaid bars. In the cutting position of a bar the pulverized soil iscarried thereover and deposited on the surface, and the clods are car-'ried forward and crushed by impact with each other or deposited indepressions to be crushed by the edges or weight of the succeeding bars.

Having fully described my improvement, what I claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination of end pieces, a series of angle-bars hinged theretoand each formed with a cutting edge, and lever mechanism adapted torotatively adjust said bars simultaneously.

2. The combination of a series of interchangeable cutter-bars, means forremov ably connecting them together and parallel with each other, bracesremovabl v' hinged on the front bar of the series, and lever mechanismremovably supported on said bars and adapted to simultaneously move andmaintain them in di'lTerent positions of rotative adjustment.

3. The combination of a series of cutterbars, each terminating itsopposite edges in planes substantially perpendicular to each other,means for interchangeably connecting said bars together and adjustablelever mechanism mounted on said bars and adapted to simultaneously moveand maintain them in different rotative positions.

4. The combination of a series of cutterbars, arch-bars adapted to besecured thereover with a slot between them, means for interchangeablysecuring said cutter-bars together and parallel with each other, andadjustable lever mechanism arranged to simultaneously move and maintainsaid bars in different rotative positions.

5. The combination with end pieces each provided with a brace, a seriesofinterchangeable cutter-bars secured thereto, means for independentlyadjusting said bars with their edges in different vertical angles, levermechanism for rotativeljr adjusting said bars, and draft connectionsdetachably engaging with the front bar of said series.

6. The combination of a cutter-bar, and an arch-bar adapted to beremovably secured thereto for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of end pieces, a cutterbar provided with hingemembers adapted to movabl v engage therewith, and a bar supported onsaid members a short distance thereover.

8. The combination of a series of cutterbars, lever mechanism forsimultaneously moving and maintaining them in different positions 01''rotative adjustment, and means maintaining said bars in differentpositions of rotative adjustment in relation to said mechanism.

FREDERICK MILLER.

Witnesses H. Y. MILLER, R. S. CARR.

